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Why Abu Dhabi means goodbye to cricket in Sharjah
Why Abu Dhabi means goodbye to cricket in Sharjah
Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf is here, so is India’s Union Minister and BCCI supremo Sharad Pawar. Then there are Priyanka Chopra, Kareena Kapoor, Amrita Arora, Esha Deol, Zayed Khan and even Salman Khan. Proof enough that Abu Dhabi is now the new Sharjah of cricket.
So what’s it with this UAE venue, which has already pocketed $ 12 million from this two-match India-Pakistan series? The answer probably is a mix of cricket politics, the match-fixing cloud over Sharjah and some hard work by organisers here.
Officials of the Abu Dhabi Cricket Council (ADCC) point to the hard work of five years that went into the 20,000-capacity Sheikh Zayed Stadium and are quick to dismiss any suggestion of politics. But sources say the DLF Cup tournament is the result of an elaborately planned effort by the BCCI to make the desert stadium the hottest venue for off-shore cricket. From finding a sponsor to designing the trophy, everything has been minutely supervised by the Indian board with the ACC remaining a grateful partner.
ADCC president B R Shetty told The Indian Express: ‘‘The entire amount generated from here will go in developing cricket in the region. We are indebted to the BCCI for answering our pleas and coming to play cricket here. I am sure that we will give the best of facilities and prove a good cricket venue for all teams.’’
For Sharjah then, the sources say, it is definitely curtains—at least as long as the present BCCI regime is at the helm. The board, they say, has its reasons for promoting Abu Dhabi, especially with off-shore venues figuring prominently on their commercial blueprint:
• The match-fixing scandal that left India red-faced in world cricket, many feel, had strong links to Sharjah. Apparently, the Indian government wasn’t quite keen on Indian cricketers playing there again
• Also, sources say, the previous board chief Jagmohan Dalmiya is perceived to be close to Abdul Rehman Bukhatir, whose CBFS made Sharjah a cricket centre.
‘‘This (Abu Dhabi) project is controlled by the state government and not by any private institute like CBFS, the accountability factor is more,’’ says an ADCC official.
For the ADCC then, the shift has meant success after five years. The Sheikh Zayed stadium, amidst of a huge expanse of white sand, is an assembled piece of carefully mowed lush green grass, two giant electronic screens, and two hills for spectators.
Officials point to the larger picture: the stadium is part of an integral part of the Zayed sports city—there’s already a 36-hole golf course alongside. And outside, the local administration is working overtime to lay out new approach roads to the venue.
As for tomorrow, officials say they working on a ‘‘spectacular’’ laser and fireworks show during the break between innings with around 200 acrobats doing their bit. That, they hope, will announce Abu Dhabi’s entry to the world stage.
Why Abu Dhabi means goodbye to cricket in Sharjah
Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf is here, so is India’s Union Minister and BCCI supremo Sharad Pawar. Then there are Priyanka Chopra, Kareena Kapoor, Amrita Arora, Esha Deol, Zayed Khan and even Salman Khan. Proof enough that Abu Dhabi is now the new Sharjah of cricket.
So what’s it with this UAE venue, which has already pocketed $ 12 million from this two-match India-Pakistan series? The answer probably is a mix of cricket politics, the match-fixing cloud over Sharjah and some hard work by organisers here.
Officials of the Abu Dhabi Cricket Council (ADCC) point to the hard work of five years that went into the 20,000-capacity Sheikh Zayed Stadium and are quick to dismiss any suggestion of politics. But sources say the DLF Cup tournament is the result of an elaborately planned effort by the BCCI to make the desert stadium the hottest venue for off-shore cricket. From finding a sponsor to designing the trophy, everything has been minutely supervised by the Indian board with the ACC remaining a grateful partner.
ADCC president B R Shetty told The Indian Express: ‘‘The entire amount generated from here will go in developing cricket in the region. We are indebted to the BCCI for answering our pleas and coming to play cricket here. I am sure that we will give the best of facilities and prove a good cricket venue for all teams.’’
For Sharjah then, the sources say, it is definitely curtains—at least as long as the present BCCI regime is at the helm. The board, they say, has its reasons for promoting Abu Dhabi, especially with off-shore venues figuring prominently on their commercial blueprint:
• The match-fixing scandal that left India red-faced in world cricket, many feel, had strong links to Sharjah. Apparently, the Indian government wasn’t quite keen on Indian cricketers playing there again
• Also, sources say, the previous board chief Jagmohan Dalmiya is perceived to be close to Abdul Rehman Bukhatir, whose CBFS made Sharjah a cricket centre.
‘‘This (Abu Dhabi) project is controlled by the state government and not by any private institute like CBFS, the accountability factor is more,’’ says an ADCC official.
For the ADCC then, the shift has meant success after five years. The Sheikh Zayed stadium, amidst of a huge expanse of white sand, is an assembled piece of carefully mowed lush green grass, two giant electronic screens, and two hills for spectators.
Officials point to the larger picture: the stadium is part of an integral part of the Zayed sports city—there’s already a 36-hole golf course alongside. And outside, the local administration is working overtime to lay out new approach roads to the venue.
As for tomorrow, officials say they working on a ‘‘spectacular’’ laser and fireworks show during the break between innings with around 200 acrobats doing their bit. That, they hope, will announce Abu Dhabi’s entry to the world stage.